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good morning to everyone welcome to free grace Baptist Church just a few announcements before we begin worship the first is that it's our fellowship luncheon today so after the morning service pastor Butler will pray for the food and then everyone's welcome to go up into the fellowship luncheon hall if you're a visitor with us this morning you're welcome to join us for the lunch as well you're restricted to the baby carrots but you're welcome to join us for the fellowship luncheon afterwards everybody's welcome to eat all the food that it's there just a reminder that when you come if you can line up against the the back wall so that we don't so that we don't block the door but again fellowship luncheon at the end of the service everyone is welcome the baptism of Chloe Butler has been postponed due to Joey being sick so that will be I will announce when that will actually be taking place thirdly the Annual General Meeting is on the 24th so that's next Saturday 7:00 p.m. again everyone's welcome for that that's the annual general meeting next Saturday 7:00 p.m. and then finally the youth meeting will be this Friday so not on Thursday it'll be this upcoming Friday it'll be an event in Abbotsford and details will be coming to you via email so you can look out for that well let's turn in our Bibles then as we begin worship this morning our call to worship will be a reading from Daniel chapter 7 Daniel 7 beginning in verse 9 this is Daniel 7 beginning in verse 9 the word of the living and true God I watched till Thrones were put in place and the Ancient of Days was seated his garment was white as snow and the hair of his head was like pure wool his throne was a fiery flame its wheels of burning fire a fiery stream issued and came forth from before him a thousand thousands ministered to him ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him the court was seated and the books were opened I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking I watched till the beast was slain and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame as for the rest of the beasts they had their dominion taken away yet their lives were prolonged for a season at a time I watched in the night visions and behold one like the Son of man coming with the clouds of heaven he came to the Ancient of Days and they brought him near before him then to him was given Dominion and glory and a kingdom that all peoples nations and languages should serve him his Dominion is an everlasting Dominion which shall not pass away and his kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed amen let's stand and sing our first hymn it's going to be in the larger Trinity hymnal in front of you there 218 the 3rd tune that's 218 to the 3rd tune we'll now have a time of Prayer one thing that we'll be praying for is dawn Neufeld is not doing well with these symptoms of the concussion and and everything else that that he deals with he does send his greetings he's thankful for your prayers and he he sends his greeting in his love and so with that and with many other things let's go to our God in prayer let's pray Heavenly Father we thank you now for this time of worship we rejoice that it is a new day that you've given us in your condescension and love your kindness we thank you that it is the lord's day Sabbath where we can come into this place from out of the world and gather together as the saints of Christ to worship Father Son and Holy Spirit the one true and living God we thank you and we pray now once again that you would help us to do so rightly they give us that measure of your Holy Spirit to serve you accept ibly with reverential fear we pray that you would help us now to worship you in spirit and in truth you would help us again to cast off thoughts that would intrude upon that worship help us to be focused now help us to be attentive and help us to be earnest and joyful in worship we rejoice in Jesus Christ our Savior we know that we we are not saved by deeds of righteousness which we have done we know that all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God and yet Lord God and you're appointed in your accepted time you brought forth your people from the deadness and darkness of sin to life and light in Christ Jesus the Lord by grace we have been saved and we thank you Lord God for the perfect work of our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ and we rejoice with Christians everywhere in those words of the Apostle Paul that this is a faithful saying worthy of all acceptance that Christ Jesus came into this world sinners to save we thank you Lord that we can be counted among that number by amazing and victorious grace we do pray then that you would give us tongues and hearts to praise you our triune God we pray that you would help us now as we reflect upon the doing and the dying and the rising again of the Son of God and the fact that he has ascended to your right hand where he does ever live to make intercession for his people where he rules and he reigns over his enemy and where he does subdue the hearts of his elect we do pray that you would just help us now in worship and forgive us afresh of all of our transgressions we know with great joy and with great solemnity that we have that for perfect forgiveness by virtue of the blood of our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ and in him we have a righteousness not our own that avails with you that is imputed to us and received by faith alone and we rejoice in the gospel of saving and glorious grace we do pray that you be with those who cannot join us Lord whether for traveling or for sickness and illness reasons we pray for all those struggling with illness that you would strengthen them in body that you heal them that you would just grab them strength God and we do pray for Dawn Neufeld that you'd strengthen him we pray that you'd help him take away those pains associated with his disease and Lord God we'd pray that you take away these pains and these symptoms of concussion that we do pray that you just tend to our brother and though unable to join us we pray that you would just tend to him in the inner man cause him in the midst of physical affliction to rejoice in his God and to sing the praises of our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ so do be with all your ailing saints Lord God and strengthen them and stir them up in the inner man to cause them to rejoice in their God we do pray Lord for the persecuted church as we pray each and every Lord's day and throughout the week we pray that our minds would often be drawn by you to reflect upon their their plight and many nations throughout the world we pray that you'd be with our brothers and sisters in Christ who suffer the tyranny and the opposition of enemies that the the the hating and the hitting hands of those who hate the gospel of Jesus Christ we pray that you'd be near to them and that you would cause them to know that in the midst of such persecution in the midst of such opposition to know that the Lamb of God sits at the right hand of the Majesty on high that he does rule and that he does reign and Lord God we do pray that you give them much comfort in the risen and in the exalted Christ we do pray that you would deal with those who persecute them that you would save many as as Saul so many years ago who was breathing threats against the church and dragging men and women from out of their houses to persecute them but Lord God you condescended an amazing grace and turned him from a persecutor to one who praised the triune God and proclaimed the glorious riches of Christ we pray that you would do that mighty act of grace and in the hearts of many who are persecuting her people that they would be found among those whom they formerly persecuted singing the praises of God we do pray once again for those who will remain in opposition who will continue to bring violence upon your people even unto their dying breath we do pray Lord God that you would take them out of the way you would cause them to wither away as the snail that you would pull from them those fangs and cause them to stumble like drunken men that they may no longer bring violence upon the people of Christ we pray unto this end that you would do a mighty act of grace throughout the world proclaiming your gospel by your sent missionaries by ministers of the gospel we do pray that by the power of the Spirit and by the proclamation of the gospel many would be brought to a knowledge of Jesus Christ the Savior that governments throughout the world would no longer be found a propagating wickedness and and putting down proper virtue but Lord God that you would cause rulers throughout the world to rule in justice to rule in righteousness and to rule with the biblical equity we do pray Lord that you would vindicate your name throughout all the earth and that multitudes of sinners this day would sing the praises of Jesus Christ their Lord we do pray that you'd be with us then now in worship again we pray that you'd help us to worship you or write we pray Lord that you'd be with Pastor Butler as he preaches help him God to preach with confidence and with great courage in this pulpit we know that ministers of your gospel rest not upon their own strength and upon their own ingenuity but they rest upon the a that the triune God affords his ministers and so we do pray for that help him in this pulpit to preach well the things of your word we do pray Lord that your saints this morning would be edified in this place that you would strengthen your people by spirit and word and we do pray Lord God for that mighty act of salvation this morning whether young or old Lord any who came in these two doors outside of Jesus Christ in unbelief we would pray once again that you would cause those to leave these two doors singing the praises of Jesus Christ rejoicing in our triune God and rejoicing an amazing grace do save mightily for your namesake Lord we pray all these things in the name of Jesus Christ our Savior amen let's stand and sing again if you'll stand with me this time in your hymn books will sing two thirty that's two three zero let's stand and sing together [Music] [Music] you can turn in your Bibles with me to Luke 7 for our New Testament scripture reading Luke chapter 7 and when you turn to Luke 7 you can put your finger at verse 18 that's where we're going to begin Luke 7 beginning at verse 18 we'll read to verse 35 once again this is the Word of God Luke 7 18 then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things and John calling two of his disciples to him sent em to Jesus saying are you the coming one or do we look for another when the men had come to him they said John the Baptist has sent us to you saying are you the coming one or do we look for another and that very hour he cured many of many of infirmities afflictions and evil spirits and too many blind he gave sight jesus answered and said to them go tell John the things you have seen and heard that the blind see the lame walk the lepers are cleansed the Deaf hear the dead are raised the poor have the gospel preached to them and blessed is he who is not offended because of me when the messengers of John had departed he began to speak to the multitudes concerning John what did you go out into the wilderness to see a reed shaken by the wind but what did you go out to see a man clothed in soft garments indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in King's courts but what did you go out to see a prophet yes I say to you and more than a prophet this is he of whom it is written behold I send my messenger before your face who will prepare your way before you for I say to you among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he and when all the people heard him even the tax collectors justified God having been baptized with the baptism of John but the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves not have being baptized by him and the Lord said to what then shall I liken the men of this generation and what are they like they are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another saying we played the flute for you and you did not dance we warned to you and you did not we for John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine and you say he has a demon the Son of man has come eating and drinking and you say look a glutton and a wine-bibber a friend of tax collectors and sinners but wisdom is justified by all her children amen well just one one brief note it's a wonderful thing when we read sometimes of how the Lord Jesus Christ answers questions that these men are sent by John the Baptist to come and ask if he is the the coming one or do we look for another rarely do you see Jesus answering with a yes and that's not because he's trying to off you skater or steer away from the truth it's because his answers are very often much stronger than a simple yes I am the coming one and they asked this question John the Baptist has sent us to you saying are you the coming one or do we look for another you John the Baptist would be in prison you know the the proclamation of the gospel by Jesus Christ isn't well received Christ himself as opposed the disciples are opposed and so people are wondering is this really the coming one is this really the promised Messiah and Jesus answers and says after performing these wonderful miracles he says go and tell John the things you have seen and heard that the blind see the lame walk the lepers are cleansed the Deaf hear the dead are raised etc he's not just saying okay I heard your question but let's just talk about what I did hear no he's citing the prophet Isaiah he's citing the Word of God and giving cheer to the heart of John the Baptist and cheer to these men because this is a messianic prophecy all of these things that Christ does here and records here and tells them to go tell John the Baptist about these are things that the prophet Isaiah saw that the Messiah would do and it also speaks that the Redeem of the lore that the ransomed of the Lord would be restored to Zion would return to Zion and that sorrow and that sighing would flee away and that's the message of the savior to John I am the coming one I am the Messiah sorrow and sighing will flee away because the king is here if you're here this morning this is your Christ this is your savior this is your redeeming one and believe in him and you will have everlasting life well let's pray Heavenly Father we thank you for the message of your word we thank you for the gospel of Jesus Christ and for this narrative concerning our Blessed Jesus we do pray that you'd help us to rejoice in him as we continue in worship to sing your praises as we continue in worship we do pray again Lord that you would strengthen your people that you would save sinners and all that is done today Lord might have be done unto the praise a Father Son and Holy Spirit we pray in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord amen our final him before the preaching of the word is 295 if you'll stand with me in the same hymnal 295 [Music] [Music] [Music] well please turn with me in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 28 Matthew chapter 28 our focus this morning will be on verses 16 to 18 because there are so much going on in what's called the Great Commission in verses eighteen the twentieth in many respects does summarize a great number of the themes in Matthew's Gospel so as we come to a conclusion soon of Matthew's Gospel it does make sense to slow down a little bit in this part of the exposition to sort of recapitulate those themes and to see how the Lord Jesus does instruct his church for their primary function in the world after his resurrection and his ascension back up into heaven so verses 16 to 18 will be our focus but I do want to begin reading in Matthew 28 at verse 1 now after the Sabbath as the first day of the week began to dawn Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb and behold there was a great earthquake for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat on it his countenance was like lightning and his clothing as white as snow the guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men but the angel answered and said to the women do not be afraid for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified he is not here for he has risen as he said come see the place where the Lord lay and go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead and indeed he is going before you into Galilee there you will see him behold I have told you so they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy and ran to bring his disciples word and as they went to tell his disciples behold Jesus met them saying rejoice so they came and held him by the feet and worshiped him then jesus said to them do not be afraid go and tell my brethren to go to Galilee and there they will see me now while they were going behold some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers saying tell them his disciples came at night and stole him away while we slept and if this comes to the governor's ears we will appease him and make you secure so they took the money and did as they were instructed and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them when they saw him they worshiped him but some doubted and Jesus came and spoke to them saying all Authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth go therefore and make disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you and lo I am with you always even to the end of the age amen let us pray father in heaven we thank you for this blessed wonderful encouraging portion of Scripture we thank you for the life and the death and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ for the glorious gospel of free and sovereign grace for the fact that you made him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him may these things encourage our hearts this morning and may you stir us up to worship and to praise and to adorn our great God Father Son and Holy Spirit and may your spirit common convict those who are dead in their trespasses and sins awaken them show them their sin and show them the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ and his ability to save to the uttermost all who draw nigh unto God through him do forgive us for our sins and our transgressions do wash us in the blood of the Lord Jesus cleanse us from all iniquity and all impurity caused us to approach you with fear and with great joy and fill us now with the Holy Spirit may he attend the preaching of your word and may we respond to that word by his power in a way that is well pleasing in your sight we ask these things through Christ Jesus our Lord amen well remember that last week we saw that verses 11 to 15 sort of serve as a counter mission to what we find here in the Great Commission in verses 18 that's 1:8 and there are some obvious contrasts in view the religious leaders use bribe money to pay off the soldiers so they'll go out and tell a lie concerning the empty tomb Christ uses the promise of his presence to Commission his followers to spread the truth as well we see that this particular narrative this false narrative in verses 11 to 15 gained traction among the Jews according to verse 15 but the message of the Great Commission is to be proclaimed preached to all the nations Jesus has a comprehensive scope there according to the promises made to Abraham way back in the old testament that in him or through his seed all the nations all the families of the earth would be blessed and as well we see that these religious leaders that fabricated this false narrative in verses 11 to 15 they died they were ultimately of no benefit to these soldiers or to anyone else but Christ promises his presence in verse 20 at the very end he says I am with you always even to the end of the age and not to sort of get ahead of ourselves but one thing we ought to be encouraged about is that last statement in Matthew's Gospel especially in light of one of the first statements in Matthew's Gospel you shall call his name Jesus for it is he will save his people from their sins also you shall call his name Emmanuel God with us the Gospel of Matthew begins with Christ as God with us the Gospel of Matthew concludes with Christ as God with us and this is the emphasis in the Commission in terms of assurance provided to his church that while they go about this commission he is present among them well as I said we'll look at verses 16 to 18 we'll look under two considerations first the meeting in Galilee in verses 16 and 17 and then secondly the authority behind the Commission the authority behind the Commission but note first their arrival in Galilee according to verse 16 then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for that so the disciples obeyed the angel told the women to go tell the disciples as they were going to tell the disciples Jesus met them and Jesus said go tell the disciples to meet me in Galilee this is precisely what these disciples do they obey the woman's instruction on the authority obviously of the risen Christ and as well according to this angel this angelic Proclamation Jesus had already specified in Matthew 26 32 that he would be raised on the third day and that he would go to Galilee so that explains the purpose and if we ask the question why Galilee wasn't Jerusalem more of a central place or more of a better place in order to launch this worldwide campaign well remember that Jesus begins his ministry in Galilee and there it's described as Galilee of the Gentiles with the prophet Isaiah in the background so it makes sense that in Galilee of the Gentiles this worldwide mission would be launched by the king the authority the risen Lord as he sends out his church upon this particular task now note their response to the Lord Jesus in verse 17 when they saw him they worshiped him but some doubted now worship is a great response to the Lord Jesus lords that's what we're about that's what we're made to do that's why we come here on Sunday why is Sunday significant because we get to go to the house of the Lord and worship our great God and Savior I wonder if we look at it in that sort of a way we look at you know what it means to be a Christian well means my sins are forgiven to be sure it means that I'm redeemed by the precious blood of the land means that I'm gonna go to heaven it means that I now have the freedom the ability and the desire to worship the king of kings and Lord of lords I have been set free from the idolatry and the bondage and the wickedness of slavery to sin as a result I no longer serve those former task masters as a result I no longer bow the knee to the bottle or to the the drugs or to the sacks or to the power or to the job I'm no longer bow to bail but I have been free to bow to the Lord Jesus Christ you see ultimately we all live in submission to some Authority ultimately we are all beholding to an authority ultimately we all worship something and I don't think we fully understand or appreciate what the ramifications of that is if we are drug addicts our God just happens to be drugs that take the form of bail if we worship sex that's still a form of idolatry saying that its root essence is a form of idolatry it's a rejection of the living and true God and it's a pursuing of those things which are not God and so in this gospel we have been free we have been liberated we no longer bow theny to bail and we get to bow the knee to the king of kings and Lord of lords but it is intriguing notice in verse 17 when they saw him they worshiped him but some doubted why did they doubt well before we even asked that question it is intriguing that Matthew is not trying to put together a forgery it is intriguing that Matthew is not putting together a fake Matthew tells us the truth even if the truth perplexes Matthew tells us the truth even if we scratch our heads and say why in the world would these men doubt in the presence of the risen Lord you see men that would conspire together to create a narrative would smooth out all the unsavory details you wouldn't expect things like some doubted in a carefully managed manuscript that was designed to promote a falsehood you want to shave off the rough edges you want to make sure that everyone buys what you're laying out you want to make sure that there's no sort of discrepancy whatsoever but the realist or the true writer rather tells us no matter the case just like in the Old Testament books of first and second Samuel they don't sanitize the life and the ministry and the service of King David they don't wash him with Clorox rather they set him before us and tell us the manner of man that he was truth has nothing to hide and if some doubted Matthew is going to tell us that they doubt it there's apologetics significance even in this short clause but some doubted now as we investigate it further we ask the question why there are several views in terms of who's in place or who are the ones who doubt it the grammar could be taken in one of three ways it could have been some of the eleven some within this band of the eleven both worship and doubt it as well it could have been some others other than the eleven supposing this is the instance Paul refers to in first Corinthians 15:6 where Jesus appears to five hundred persons at once so you've got the eleven who worship and then got some of these others these sort of hangers on these other disciples and they doubt it some suggest it meant all of the eleven themselves doubt it I think it's best to understand it as some of the eleven there was a time when Jesus did appear to five hundred at once but in this instance Matthew focuses upon the eleven now when we look at that particular word that's used it does mean doubt but it also has the sense of hesitate if you ask the question how could you both die both worship and hesitate all at the same time think about the scenario think about the situation how does one respond when they're close personal friend was crucified buried and is now scanning before that would you be a bit hesitant consider the fact as well with reference to eleven the last time they saw him was when they had forsaken him they abandoned him so yes worship in the presence of the the risen Christ but a bit of hesitation because how is he going to deal with us after we had for shaken him and it could be just simply that he was away off and they weren't sure in John 21 that's the scenario Christ is on the shore the disciples are in the boat and they can't tell if it's him or not the fact that in verse 18 he comes to them might indicate that that might have been the simple explanation they hesitated because perhaps they weren't absolutely sure but it's probably more likely they hesitated because they didn't know what else to do look back at Matthew 14 for just a moment Matthew 14 where we see the verb used here as well Matthew 14 31 and immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him and said to him this is when Jesus is walking on the water and Peter joins him and immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him and said to him o you of little faith why did you doubt why did you hesitate why was there this struggle again we could psychoanalyze Peter and say what a terrible person that he expresses this little faith he was walking on water he wouldn't be a little bit hesitant about that and the ramifications therein they had abandoned the master and now he's standing before them they worship Him because he's worthy he is the eternal son of God declared to be so by the power of the Resurrection and Romans 1:4 there's a hesitation there they're in the presence of one who died and had been raised from the dead so there's a little faith Ness to be sure but there is this worship there is this adoration there is this knowledge of the Holy One as Gill says with divine adoration they worship as the eternal son of God for so he was now declared to be by his resurrection from the dead Romans 1:4 so we see this meeting in Galilee and some see the significance of the mountain Jesus appears in several places or several times throughout the gospel on the mountain there's an imagery of Moses appearing on the mountain there's a commissioning service that is very typical of Old Testament with an Old Testament background we'll investigate that God willing next week in a bit more detail but the mountain here I don't think is to be interpreted to significantly other than the fact this is where they had agreed to me and now Jesus gives them their marching orders but notice in verse 18 the authority behind the Commission this is we're going to spend our time for the rest of this morning I don't mean till the rest of this morning actually I do we're gonna probably end closer to the time when the morning actually ends so this authority behind the Commission Christ is going to tell his disciples this little band of men this eleven these apostles he's going to tell them something that applies not only to them but it applies to the church throughout the age and it's quite a big significant thing he wants them to go and make disciples of all the nations that doesn't mean you know each nation as a body politic in other words we don't take water and sprinkle it all over Canada and call it a Christian nation the idea is is go to these various nations and make disciples of the various people groups within those nations and the disciples that are made you you baptize them and then you you teach them and they must obey me Jesus Christ is going to tell his disciples to do this great Commission but he doesn't tell them to do it apart from his authority and we need to appreciate that authority with reference to this great Commission notice in verse 18 Jesus came and spoke to them saying all Authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth so there are several things we ought to appreciate about this authority that Jesus Christ has been given by the father with reference to heaven and earth in the first place the authority of Christ has been demonstrated in many places in Matthew's Gospel as I said this section sort of recapitulates the several themes are together several strands of thought into one compact place we ask the question what happened to the disciples chapter 26 they abandon him they departed from him well here's the answer of the resolution to that particular tension they're back with their Lord they're forgiven of their sins they're given their marching orders we see Christ assert here absolute unrivaled unparalleled Authority we say well haven't we seen that authority along the way as we've surveyed Matthew's Gospel we certainly have we have seen that that Authority demonstrated in his healing ministry in Matthew 4 and in Matthew 9 we have seen that that that Authority demonstrated in his teaching ministry remember after the Sermon on the Mount they marveled because he taught them not like the scribes but as one who had Authority we have seen that authority of the Lord Jesus Christ with reference to his authority over nature visa vie he's able to walk on the water visa vie he's able to calm the waves he's able to still the win Christ has absolute authority over nature and that has been demonstrated in Matthew's Gospel we also see his authority over demons in Matthew 8 Matthew 12 Matthew 17 what does he do to exercise authority over these demons or display rather his authority over these demons he casts them out as well we have seen his authority to forgive sins you remember that instance in Matthew chapter 9 when Jesus is teaching and and men lower a man down is a paralytic upon them on his mat they lower him down into the place where Christ is teaching and Christ sees that man who's been lowered down he's paralyzed that's his obvious problem and Jesus said son thy sins are forgiven thee and of course the religious leaders start to stroke their beards in their heads and they say who did this is man think he is only God alone can forgive sins so Jesus says which is easier to say to the man your sins are forgiven or to tell them to rise up and take his mat and walk well it's easier to say that your sins are forgiven because we don't know if that's actually happened that's why Jesus says to the man take up your bed and walk and the reason why he does that because if the man now takes up his bed and walks it does demonstrate what Christ said specifically that the Son of man has power to forgive sins on earth Christ has authority and I want to just say by way of this particular observation that's good news if you're still in your sins there is one who has the authority to forgive you of your sins if you sin against me I'd like to think I would forgive you but I can't deal with your sin problem I can't deal with your sins against your wife or your sins against your husband or your sins against your children or your sins against your God but Christ can he has authority to forgive he has the power to forgive he has the ability and yeah the willingness to cleanse us from our sins if you ever asked the question well is he willing does he want to is this something that that's indicative of who Christ is this is the purpose for which he came so I don't get in some sort of sectors we have this idea that that God saves but very grudgingly God saves but very unwilling well okay I'll accept you but you know I'd rather not that's sort of the conception of God that we meet in some circles okay like this this miserly Abram Nizar Scrooge type of God you know he's gonna dole out a few pennies to you and pat you on your head and send you on your way the God revealed to us in the Bible is the father of the prodigal when that prodigal is a long way off and a reeking white Pig the father runs to him the father falls on him the father kisses him the father then orders a great feast to be held in his honor the god of Scripture is described for us in the very beginning of that particular scene when the scribes and the Pharisees see the popularity of Jesus and they say this and receive sinners and eats with them Christ illustrates the point with the story of the prodigal of course I receive sinners and eat with them that's the purpose for which I came God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son I think is Calvinist to reform people we spent a lot of time telling people what that doesn't mean but we forget to tell them what it does mean he does love the world he gave His only begotten Son that everyone who believes in that son will have everlasting life it's not universalism it's not teaching every man without exception it is teaching every man without distinction but the fact that God loves the world the fact that God the Lord has sent his son into this world is the first and foremost indicator that he's willing to save sinners this idea that God saves but grudgingly so God saves only only because he has to is absolutely contrary to the picture of God portrayed for us in the parable of the prodigal son the Lord God runs from the porch and I'm speaking metaphorically using the imagery that Jesus uses speaking in the manner of men he runs from the porch he falls on prodigal zhh and he gives them big kisses even when they smell like pigs I'm sorry if I was the father I'd tell them to go shower up and then I'll give you a kiss behold your God return ye backsliding children and I will heal your backsliding says Yahweh in Jeremiah three behold your God he is not against saving sinners this is his function this is what he's about secondly the authority of Christ includes heaven and is reminiscent of many Old Testament passages you can turn to the book of Deuteronomy gonna work our way through several observations concerning the authority of Christ the first the authority of Christ has been demonstrated in Matthew's Gospel secondly the authority of Christ in it's heaven and is an is reminiscent of Old Testament tax wherein Yahweh has all authority in heaven and on earth there are many tax which speak of God creating heaven and earth but texts that speak specifically to God having authority or sovereignty or power with reference to heaven and earth Deuteronomy chapter 3 and verse 24 deuteronomy 324 oh Lord God you have begun to show your servant your greatness in your mighty hand for what God is there in heaven or on earth who can do anything like your works and your mighty deeds implication there is no other it's God alone who has this power it's God alone who has this authority in heaven and on earth Deuteronomy 4 deuteronomy 4 specifically verse 39 therefore know this day and consider in your heart that the Lord himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath there is no other Deuteronomy 10:14 Deuteronomy 10:14 just to sort of illustrate or show how what Christ says in Matthew 28:18 is reminiscent of these Old Testament passages asserting the absolute unrivaled unparalleled sovereignty and authority of Yahweh over heaven and earth Deuteronomy 10:14 indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the Lord your God also the earth with all that is in it and then turn over to first Kings chapter 8 first Kings chapter 8 at the dedication of the temple Solomon rehearses this very theme first Kings chapter 8 at verse 23 the unrivaled sovereignty authority power of Yahweh first Kings 823 and he said Lord God of Israel there is no God in heaven above or on the earth below or on earth below like you who keep your covenant and mercy with your servants who walk before you with all their hearts you see when Christ asserts absolute authority we've seen it fleshed out in his earthly ministry we have seen it in his healing ministry we have seen it in his ability to cast out demons we see it in his teaching we see it that he has a power authority on earth to forgive sins but now Christ is speaking comprehensively in terms of all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me and I think this is a lesson that the church desperately needs to recover we think Christ's Authority pertains to Chris gia to church and religion we don't see the authority outside the four walls of the local church we don't see Christ's authority over us on Wednesday well maybe because we come here for Bible study on Wednesday night we don't see that authority on Thursday morning we don't see it in our business dealings we don't see it in our marriages we don't see it in the parent-child relationship we have this truncated small view of the authority of Christ it pertains to the church but what I do outside the church is all up to me and I'm most important in the universe I'll throw Jesus in on Sunday because that's what people do but in terms of a recognition of his unrivaled unparalleled majestic sovereign authority over all things I submit that much of the church today certainly the world thinks like the Syrians in first Kings chapter 20 remember in first Kings chapter 20 there was an interesting situation a hab was the king of Israel not a great fellow by the way nevertheless God was God over Israel and he wanted to protect Israel there was a man by the name of Ben Haddad he was the king of Syria a sworn enemy of Israel well Ben Haddad besieges Samaria Ben Haddad wages war against Samaria you know what happens Israel won you know what the Syrians concluded we we fought them in the hills and their gods are the gods of the hills so therefore we lost think about it crying has Crown rights over what I do on Sunday but Tuesday's mine is your God and god of the hills so what do you think the Syrians then thought well if he's just the gods or if they're the gods of the hills we'll fight him in the plains guess what happened they lost on the plains too this is a fundamental error for people misunderstanding sovereign Authority when Jesus says all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me he means all authority over your life he means on Thursday he means on Friday he certainly means on the Sabbath day he means for your religious life your ethical life your business life your political life Christ has crown rights over you Davis speaks to this situation in his commentary there on first Kings he says by the coming victory Yahweh will show both goodness to Israel and get glory for himself in other words why is God gonna bless Ahab in Israel and help them defeat the Syrian army well because he's going to show his goodness and he's going to get glory for himself the latter is the primary concern in verse 28 intriguing two occasions in first Kings 20 God says or the Prophet says that you may know that Yahweh is God he's not speaking to the Syrians they're guess who he's speaking to a having the Israelites who needs that lesson that Christ has absolute unrivaled unparalleled majesty and authority it's the church we know the pagans don't think he has any sway over anything else it's getting Church people to remember that all authority in heaven and earth means all authority in heaven and on earth why it is we stumble with that little phrase there but he says the latter is the primary concern in verse 28 Syrian foolishness has distorted the truth about Yahweh eating him in the image of a humdrum pagan deity when Israel levels them on level ground Yahweh shall have exposed their theological nonsense for what it is they move from the hills where they lose and they accredit it to Yahweh being the god of the hills let's move it out onto the plains let's move it out onto flat ground they lost again what's Davis say there Yahweh shall have exposed their theological nonsense for what it is now after disaster number two with reference to the Syrians they now have an opportunity to see the truth about Israel's God if they will learn the lesson he's not just the god of the hills and he's not just the God of the plains he is the God of heaven and earth he has absolute sovereign authority the Davis points out what I mentioned earlier however the man of God or the Prophet stresses the impact the prophecy and the victory should have upon Israel and you shall know that I am Yahweh frequently it is God's professed covenant people who most need convinced of Yahweh's power and omnipotence we may scan within Israel's camp but keep lapsing into Syrian modes of thinking that sink in for just a moment how many of you if not doctrinally would confess this practically evidence this Christ is Lord when I meant worship but I can live like Belial is Lord the rest of my life I can live and function and move and have my being without any regard whatsoever to the sovereign authority of King Jesus Christ I can just remove him from my thoughts I can pretend that he's just not there I can live life as if he's just sort of a an accouterment to my already busy life I'll throw him on I'll tack him on on Sunday I'll do my religious bidding I'll fulfill my moral obligations but not twice on Sunday just once and I will continue in my rebellion against his authority I wonder if we have lapsed into the Sirian mode of thinking it's an intriguing thing because the book of Revelation deals with not just religion but it deals with politics and you know whatever your view on the beasts are is we're not gonna get into all that but most see at least in one beast a political power of some sort that's as vague as I can make it without offending everybody political power of some sort everybody sees that unless you're really whacked-out and it's really really literal and that's actually a physical monster that emerges from the mediterranean sea most people don't see it that way they see the beast as some sort of political foe is it an intriguing when John writes is opening greeting to the Saints that he is writing two that are in this current situation that are suffering under oppressive regimes he describes Jesus Christ as the faithful witness the firstborn from the dead and the ruler over the kings of the earth so I think at the very outset John is saying to them by way of this greeting whatever those beasts are doing they're under the sway and power and command of King Jesus Christ we saw it the other night in our Bible study in first Kings chapter 9 our second Kings chapter 19 Sennacherib rises up and he boasts look at what I've done I've bashed or battered the Cedars of Lebanon I've done wells I've conquered peoples I have done all these things and he always says to him haven't you heard that was me I raised you up Sennacherib I raised up Assyria I used you to chase and discipline my erring covenant people and now that you boasted and now that you've risen up in rebellion against me I'm gonna put you down just like I put them down now that's the gym butler paraphrase but that's precisely what he does you see brethren truncated views of the authority of Jesus Christ lead people into a whole host of bad things it leads people into a whole host of bad things we need to see the crown rights of Jesus Christ in every area of our lives we don't pick and choose what Authority will allow him to rule or reign over us thirdly we ought to appreciate with reference to this authority of Christ in Matthew 28:18 that it's not a passive waiting in heaven type of authority but it is an active exercise of his universal lordship in calling these Apostles to go and to disciple the nations in other words we don't have an absentee King we don't have a king in name only but we have a king and he rules over his church he spoke to his church in the first century contacts he has promised his presence with us until he comes again and we are to be about the task that he is entrusted to our care he's not a he's not passive he's not just watching from some distant cosmic perch he is active he is president he is Emmanuel while the church engages in what she's supposed to with reference to disciple making that is attended by baptism and teaching while the church does that her ever-present Lord is her ever-present Lord fourthly we ought to appreciate that the authority of Christ is a further demonstration of his triumph over his enemies I mean I say a further I had a demonstration or the demonstration but the fact that he left the tomb showed victory over his enemies but this assertion or declaration concerning his absolute authority over all things in heaven and on earth is another demonstration of his victory over his enemies consider his earthly enemies what did they do they plotted back in Matthew 12 to destroy him even prior to that they engaged with him confrontationally we could say that he was rejected in his earthly ministry we can certainly see that he betrayed by these wicked man and assisted or aided by judas iscariot we see that these wicked men then had him crucified nailed to a cross they mocked him particularly as kingship when he's on the cross they mock him they scorn him they de ride him and then he is risen from the dead isn't that a beautiful display of the absolute authority of Jesus Christ and his triumph over his earthly enemies but consider his hellish enemy as well the devil remember way back when for those of you who actually care we started Matthew in 2011 now there's probably one of two ways you can take that you mean he's punished us for that long or - wow that was a long time ago I don't think that was in every Sunday you know visit with Matthew but it's been a while but if you go all the way back to Matthew 4 the devil tempted Jesus and promised him something didn't he you see all this you can have it all can all be yours you just bow down to me and you worship that's not what Jesus did Jesus obeyed the father think arty France explains this concept well at the beginning of the gospel Satan offered Jesus sovereignty over the whole earth but his offer was refused now Jesus going the way of obedience to his father's will even to the cross has received far more than Satan could offer he has all authority in heaven and on earth fifthly we ought to appreciate the authority of Christ here is not his due to his being the second person of the Trinity but this authority is conferred upon him in his mediatorial office it's not as God the Son or the second person rather of the Trinity that this is conferred upon him because as God he's always been and he's always had absolute authority it's in his capacity in his office in his role as mediator specifically seen in prophet priest and King it's in that capacity that Christ has this authority our confession indicates this which office mediator and surety he took not upon himself but was there unto called by his father who also put all power and judgment in his hand and gave him commandment to execute the same John Gill explains which is to be understood of him this assertion of his all authority Ness which is to be understood of him not as God who has the same original and and under I've power and authority over all creatures and things in heaven and on earth as the father has but as mediator to whom all things are delivered by the father this is the way you are to understand Ephesians 1 and Philippians 2 and Colossians 1 persons sometimes we're perplexed I said well isn't Jesus God didn't he already have all authority and power he is receiving this in his mediatorial office as the god man as the Messianic King as the ruler over this kingdom it was prophesied of him concerning this in Isaiah 9:6 what's one of the things we confess not only along with his blessed names but the government shall be on his shoulders isn't that the case isn't that precisely what we find in this assertion of absolute authority we see fulfillment we see realization we see what was anticipated concerning Christ the mediator in Old Covenant prophecy is now brought to pass after the resurrection Jesus says all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me again Ephesians 1 Philippians 2 first Colossians chapter 1 and then first Corinthians 15 28 when Christ delivers up the kingdom to the Father he will then subject himself to the father that's not according to his deity that's according to his manhood with with reference to his places mediator submitting too far the father there's no ontological distinction with reference to the persons of the triune God but with reference to function the son willingly submits the son willingly subordinates himself the son willingly takes to himself the offices in the office of mediator and surety and it's based on that reality that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him sixthly the authority of Christ echoes Daniel 7:13 and 14 I actually didn't ask pastor Porter to read Daniel 7:13 and 14 this morning he intuited that that might be a crucial tax when we came to the Great Commission Daniel 7:13 and 14 is played out right before your eyes was Daniel 7:13 and 14 tell us one like the Son of man came to the Ancient of Days when he came to the Ancient of Days absolute sovereignty was given to him that's his declaration in verse 18 what's he do with that absolute sovereignty according to Daniel we read and I was watching I was watching in the night visions and behold one like the son of man coming with the clouds of heaven he came to the Ancient of Days and they brought him near before him then to him was given Dominion and glory and a kingdom that's what we see here in verse 18 that all peoples nations and languages should serve it that's what we're gonna see in verse 19 go therefore and make disciples of all the nations you see behind this is a great swath of biblical teaching from the Old Testament film to ask of me the father says I will give you what the nation's for your inheritance you see the father's already given that to the son so that when the Sun sends forth the apostles were just supposed to obey well that's supposed to go well is this tribe or as this people is this group what's he say to Paul and in Corinth in the book of Acts he tells Paul don't don't fear don't fret I have many people in this city the father's already gifted this to him the job of the church is to go on breech teach make disciples baptize that add them to the church and teach them how to think God's thoughts after him that's the emphasis Daniel 7:13 and 14 is a specific echo in our text here seventhly the authority of Christ summarizes Matthew's emphasis on the kingship of Christ I think verse 1 of Matthew's Gospel sets the stage for everything he is son of Abraham he is son of David this all nations focus should make you think Abraham I mean get to the point where you just think that way all nations Jesus language Abraham Genesis 12 Genesis 13 Genesis 17 Genesis 22 Genesis 18 remember that scene in Genesis 13 God says I want you to look north I want you to look south I want you to look east I want you to look west you're going to inherit all of it well Paul tells us in Romans 4:13 that Abraham would inherit the world not just Palestine not just Israel not just the land of Canaan the world all the nations of the earth will be blessed in you not because of Abraham intrinsically but because of the seed of Abraham who is Jesus Christ according to Paul in Galatians chapter 3 so when we read son of Abraham in Matthew 1 we ought to think Christ mission to the night nations but when we read that he's son of David we ought to think kingship royalty and isn't that precisely how Matthew sets him forth I mean that genealogy in Matthew's Gospel points us to David that genealogy in Matthew's Gospel connects Jesus to David what do we find in chapter 2 what a Magi looking for good deals and the marketplaces in Israel they're looking for the king of the Jews you know how many times in Matthew's Gospel the Lord Jesus is referred to as the son of David the triumphal entry and see chapter 21 in accordance with the Prophet Zechariah when he rides into that city on the fall the Colt of a donkey when he does that that's symbolic he's king he's royalty he is David's son and then of course he's mocked for this very claim when he's on the cross by the religious leaders that he is the one that has them under his toe under his foot he must reign till all of his enemies are made his footstool including these men that betrayed him that rejected him that delivered him up to be crucified and to suffer and to die and many many times hearkening back to the reference and Daniel 7:13 and 14 one like the son of man came to the Ancient of Days how many times did Jesus refer to himself as son of man and it has the connotation of the universal kingship universal power universal rule so those are seven observations concerning the authority that are more doctrinal in nature the eighth and final is practical in nature as we get right back into the context the authority of Christ is the necessary foundation for the Apostles in the subsequent Ministry of the church Lords he's going to tell them to do something very very massive remember that that that false narrative had some traction among the Jews Jesus wants all nations Jesus has received all nations from the Father so he's going to tell his disciples to go to all the nations to make disciples of all the nations to baptize because he's building this massive church that's collected from every tribe and tongue and people and nation he is assembling a great multitude from every corner of this world through the proclamation of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in order to get persons to do that and to do it with any degree of effectiveness it is necessary that there be power behind this mandate Calvin makes the observation for no ordinary thority would here have been enough but sovereign and truly divine government ought to be possessed by him who commands them to promise eternal life in his name to reduce the whole world under his sway and to publish a doctrine which subdues all pride and lays prostrate the whole of the human race let's if you go out you preach the truth you are going to upset people you have probably seen that in your own lives in your own practice you could tell anybody anything about everything but the moment you say I love Jesus and I love to worship Him they look at you like you're an odd duck they may even be violent or antagonistic at least you know we don't see a lot of that but you know if we were living in the Sudan or we were living and you know Saudi Arabia or we were living in one of those other places and it were known that we were believers typically people don't just welcomed you with open arms so Jesus backs the church as it were with his authority going telling your kid to go down and buy a loaf of bread and you tell him you tell the shopkeeper that I sent you I come with the authority of my father that's how we go that's how we minister we're not disconnected from the head the body is not on its own we are vitally connected to the head we need to simply obey what Christ has called us to do in this particular passage and we need to do so with joy o brethren in conclusion I think we learned first with reference to the authority of Christ and the people of God for the church we need to obey we need to do with commanded here and I mentioned this yesterday in our theology meeting with the men was only men there usually there's men and women but it was just men yesterday so not being sexist and a pig it was just men this whole idea of the church and what she's supposed to do verse 19 well should we have this ministry and that ministry and that ministry and that ministry and that ministry I'm not necessarily going to condemn all that but if we're not doing Matthew 28 18 all that stuff doesn't matter it's a very simple mandate I don't know where we got so confused along the way what's the purpose for the church very simple make disciples baptize disciples and Wow can you imagine teach disciples people want the church to do everything but that I've heard that complaint about our church it's all about teaching it's all cerebral yeah that's what it's supposed to be [Music] first Timothy three the church is the house of God the pillar and ground of the best entertainment the pillar and ground of the most emotionally comforting words it's the pillar and ground of the truth brethren do you know what's important to you with reference to my relationship to you is me opening the Bible and preaching truth to you it really is you may not always appreciate the way I do it but brethren that's what matters it's about teaching new disciples to think about the Trinity to know what justification by faith alone actually means to know what sanctification is all about how we ought to get busy living for God that this mission narrowly defined by our Lord Jesus in Matthew 28:19 for whatever reason perplexes the church today what are we supposed to do how are we supposed to do it Matthew 28:19 and make disciples baptize those disciples and teach them so you know when people have said that to me Liv and Elliot Church just emphasizes teaching they mean it as a dance I'm like good praise God that's I'll take that one if my gravestone ends up saying all he did was preach the word ha they praise God I'll feel like I did what I was supposed to do I would suggest as well with reference to this all authority Ness of Jesus I've highlighted our responsibility to the kingship of Christ but let's highlight the comfort that this affords Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth where should we take our weary battered souls but to our King where should we take our our difficulties in our trials and our sorrows and our rose but to our King where should we be frequently in the presence of our King we ought to appreciate as well the viability of the Great Commission when Jesus says what we're supposed to do in verse 19 he grounds it upon his sovereign authority and verse 18 says why I would suggest that the Great Commission is a viable mission if it were up to us if it were up to men if it were up to any ingenuity on our part the Great Commission wouldn't have made it out of the first century it would not have survived the first century the first whiff of persecution we disable forget it the fact that Christ has absolute authority the fact that Christ has every ounce of authority is the reason for the viability of the Great Commission Christ will have dominion Christ will see the travail of his soul Christ will be satisfied Christ will receive the nation's Christ will be glorified Christ will be able to present the kingdom to his father that God is all-in-all brethren there is a great deal of encouragement and hope in this particular section of Holy Scripture and I want to end where I kind of began this morning the legitimate response to our Lord Jesus Christ according to the disciples response when they meet him in Galilee in verse 17 is they worshiped they worshiped brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus consider yourself blessed and privileged that you've been freed from slavery and worship to Bale to worship and serve the living and true God doesn't the Ten Commandments sort of function in that way the first commandment you shall have no other gods before me that may sound like law and harsh and demanding what's the context I am Yahweh your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage I have freed you from that slavery therefore have no other gods before me true Liberty true joy true happiness is for the creature to serve their Creator and in Christ Jesus we have been freed and if you are not a believer here this morning and you are a worshipper of idols whatever they may be could be Mammon could be bail to be drugs could be sex could be work could be persons could be a whole host of things if none of the above probably you that's the last Idol to die in any man woman boy or girl is the idol of self our favorite word in the English language is me if that is true of you this morning the way of salvation is by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ one of the brothers made a great observation yesterday in the theology study when those Israelites were bitten in the wilderness by those fiery serpents and Moses erected that brazen serpent he told them to look and live probably those ones bitten and said well what do you mean how do I know I'm elect and I predestined to look shut up they just look you get bit by a fiery serpent and somebody tells you to look at that one and you'll live you don't want a theological discourse with them you don't want to talk about the doctrine of predestination you want to look at that brazen snake so you don't die of poison and yet Jesus uses that analogy says he'll be lifted up just like that snake and instead of looking and living many of you want to continue to not do that take a cue from the Israelite bitten in the wilderness when he heard looking live he looked and lived that's my encouragement to you this morning look and live well let us pray father we thank you for your word we thank you for your graciousness we thank you for your love and your mercy and your kindness we thank you for the all authority that there all authority that you've given to your son the Lord Jesus we thank you that he has absolute power we thank you that he is our God and we want to worship in spirit and truth we pray that you would encourage our hearts with these studies she would build us up in our most holy faith and that you would cause us to be faithful to you and we pray these things through Christ Jesus our Lord amen we'll have a brief time of meditation then I'll come back up and give thanks for the food and then we can go upstairs